Flannery, Erika, Markus, Miles and Vaughan, Ashley (2019) Parasite of the Month: Plasmodium vivax. Trends in Parasitology.

Abstract

Plasmodium vivax is the most widely distributed of several plasmodial species that cause malaria, a disease associated with blood stage parasite replication. About 2.5 billion people are at risk of P. vivax infection, living mainly in Southeast Asia and the Americas, where P. vivax accounts for approximately 72% of malaria cases. In Africa, widespread lack of the Duffy antigen constrains transmission. The dormant liver form of the parasite, the hypnozoite, which can reactivate long after the primary infection and give rise to a relapsing blood stage infection, complicates eradication. In fact, hypnozoites are the origin of the majority of active blood stage infections. Primaquine and tafenoquine are the only drugs that prevent relapse; however, neither can be used during pregnancy or by people with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency; and tafenoquine is not yet approved in children. Thus, this species of malaria-causing parasite is a unique challenge for eradication campaigns.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	malaria, hypnozoite, vivax
Date Deposited:	27 Jun 2019 00:45
Last Modified:	27 Jun 2019 00:45
URI:	https://oak.novartis.com/id/eprint/39462